viernes, 6 de enero de 2017

Europe's leaders face a bruising year - as does the continent itself

From the failure of the common currency to the flaws in free movement to the threat posed by Russia, the European order is in utter disrepair. And it's far from clear whether the continent's ruling class have a plan to fix things, or even recognise why their voters are so fed up. Having missed countless opportunities to chart a better course, Europe's leaders face a bruising year - as does the continent itself.

This year, like every year in the UK, has started with a chorus of whining about how the price of rail tickets has gone up. British passengers are now paying six times as much as Europeans for equivalent journeys. But that's because, unlike in other countries, British passengers are being made to pay for something approaching the actual cost of their travel. Indeed, if anything, train tickets are probably still too cheap.

Margaret Thatcher was consistently criticised through the 1980s for supporting the white minority government in South Africa. But newly released papers show that her combination of stick and carrot - in particular, the offer of a large potential aid package - played a crucial role in persuading the apartheid regime not just to release Nelson Mandela, but to give black South Africans a proper stake in the country.

President Xi's administration has reprimanded its propaganda officials for their sluggish transition into the digital age, and lack of commitment to Marxist values. The result? China's propaganda apparatus is embracing new media via animated videos and hip-hop songs that preach the party line. China's digital media may be booming, but how effective will these tactics prove to be?

Over the Christmas period, we republished a selection of the CapX pieces that

we liked the most, or that seemed to strike a particular chord with our readers. From Brexit to Bowie, Trump to taxation, Korea to Katrina, these were the pieces that made the most powerful arguments, or told us the most interesting things about our fast-changing world. For those who were busy enjoying the festive season, here's the full list.